Tim Sherwood's side picked up maximum points at the Britannia, their young left-back scoring the game's only goal

Tottenham kept alive their theoretical Champions League hopes in a scrap far removed from the glamour of Europe’s elite competition.

They created and converted a winning goal worthy of their ambitions, but the preservation of the three points owed more to their willingness to tough it out in a hostile atmosphere.

Stoke will forever believe their cause was undermined by referee Andre Marriner, who reinforced his position at the top of the dismissal charts by showing an eighth red card of the season.

He sent off Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross early in the second half for a second booking after a foul on goalscorer Danny Rose.

That decision fanned the flames of Stoke’s fury and when Rose was merely shown yellow after reacting to an aggressive challenge from Geoff Cameron by pushing the full-back, the temperature went up another notch.

Spurs boss Tim Sherwood wisely withdrew Rose, entrusting the rest of his troops to see it through.

No-one responded more defiantly to that task against Stoke’s fired-up 10 men than returning skipper Michael Dawson.

Stoke still might have salvaged something and the squandered opportunities served to compound their frustration.